Body for farm trucks



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- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24,1921.

1,422,859, I I Patentediuly 18, 1922;

star

EDWARD R. HEWITT, OF MIIJVALE, AND JOHN T sate BLAKE, an, or EAST ORANGE, New

JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO INTERNATIONAL MOTOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,'

A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

BODY non FARM TRUCKS.

Application filed .Time 24,

and for that reason are often so constructed as'to be unhandy in use. So far as known such bodies have generally been constructed of wood heavily reinforced with iron or steel fittings. This wood splinters and rots and swells and shrinks and the sectional p01 tions of the bodies are therefore seldom interchanged since a snug fit and handy n1anipulation are practically impossible of accomplishment. In accordance with the present invention it is proposed to provide a body for farm uses which is convertible readily from one type into another to take care of all of .the usual occasions from hauling hay to hauling cattle. Incorporated in the range of convertible bodies offered by the improved type may be enumerated. the clear fiat platform body, box body, express body, stake body, hay rack and live stock rack. The'stakes and-extensions employed are adapted to fit removably into. the hinged sides of the body, these hinged sides when lowered forming an unbroken extension of the bed and a wide clear platform; The live stock rack which forms one of the principal improvementsis so made as to resemble the usual type of stall racks generally found in barns whereby the heads of the cattle may be locked by swinging stanchions. Other features of the invention having to do with the locking means for the stanchions and with the retaining devices for the hinged walls of the box body will be described in detail here inafter in connection with the embodiments illustrated in the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a truck provided with the improved body, all of the accessories to the box body being omitted. v

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing the hinged sides of the 'in dotted lines in Figure 4. "The braces d ter are raised by links Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgd July 18, 1922,

1921. Serial No. 480,210.

body of Figure l-lowered to form a plat form type the body bed.

F gure 3 a view in side elevation of the lmproved body withextension sides and stanchions forming a' cattle rack, the body being broken. i Figurea is a view in transverse section through the body shown in Figure-3 and taken on the plane indicated :by the line 4- lof Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View in plan of the body shown in Figure l. I

The chassis a of the vehicle has mounted thereon in any suitablemanner, as by means of sills a, what may be an allsteel body including a base 5 having sides 0 hinged at c 7 so that they may be lowered tothe position I shown in Figure 2 and with the bed I) afford a clear flat platform body. The sides 0 are normally braced in vertical position by means of triangular steelbrace'sd pivoted at the lower side ofthe body on bolts (13 which carry channel bolsters d into which the triangular braces are lowered when the. sides are dropped on to the bol stersasa indicated are held in vertical position by means of steel springclamps e which are'secured to the sides a and lie over guides c The spring clamps may havetheir noses beveled to per mit the. braces to snap behind them in a man- 'ner which ;will be understood. 'To the rear end of the body is hinged a. tail-gate j which may be securedto the sides c when the latin accordancewith common practice.

s The upper edges of the sides 0 carry angle pieces 0 whichhave stamped therein at suit able intervals various openings 0 c 0 for purposes which will later appear. The sides 0 may have secured thereto metal straps or pockets 0 which are in line, respectivelv, with certain of the openings 0 to receive stakes 51 secured to upper side members which may be applied for the purpose of forming a high boX body. It will be understood also that these additional side sectitons g might flare to form the usual type of express body the supporting stakes g in both instances passing through the openings 0 and engaging the pockets cto insure rigidity.

' the body.

To form a haystack, stakes of any suitable length might be dropped into the openings 0 and extend upwardly any desired distance to retain hay, straw or the like.

To form a cattle rack, itis proposed to drop side stakes h through the openings 0* and into engagement with additional straps or pockets (Z carried with the bolster structure (Z below the hinge line of the sides 0. Additional swinging stanchion stakes i have at their lower ends curved metal hooks i which may be engaged with the other openings 0 in the angle piece 0 along the upper edges of the swinging sides 0. These stanchion stakes i are guided in their swinging movements adjacent their upper ends by straps is secured on the inner sides of rails Z supported on the side stakes h. The swinging stanchion stakes dare in such number and in such relation to each other and to the side stakes h as to accommodate comfortably the maximum number of cattle on For instance, as shown in Figure 3, it has been found that two stanchion stakes i may conveniently be placed between the two end side stakes h. The stanchion stakes i, when swung together, as indicated in dotted lines, ailord relatively large openings between them and the respective proximate side stakes h for the reception of the heads of cattle. \Vhen thus swung towards the respective proximate side stakes the heads of cattle will be dropped between the respective stanchion stakes z and the proximate side stakes h in a manner commonly found in barn structures. The stanchion stakes i have their upper ends held releasably in locking position by means of steel spring clamps which are also mounted on the longitudinally extending side rails Z and in proximity to the guide straps is. It is evident that the construction of the stakes with the hooks i at their lower ends will enable them to be quickly stepped or unstepped from the sides-0.

Each pair of side stakes h may be braced at their upper ends by means of cross bows m which may be engaged detachably with them by means of hooks m co-operating with pockets or straps h secured adjacent to the upper ends of the stakes. A ridge pole m may pass longitudinally of the body and be engaged with the cross bows m at their mid-points. This rigging constitutes a convenient frame work for a tarpaulin to enable the body to be closed against the weather.

Changes in details will suggest themselves in the improved convertible body, but any such changes as constitute merely mechanical skill are to be deemed within the spirit of the invention provided they constitute the mechanical equivalents of the elements recited in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a farm body for motor vehicles an all-steel bed, steel sides hinged thereto, unitary triangular steel braces pivotally sup ported at the sides of the bed and adapted to engage the sides of the body to support them in vertical position to form a box body, said braces being movable independently of the sides to a point below the hinge line to permit the sides to swing downwardly and outwardly into line with the bed to form a platform body, and bolsters secured at the side of the bed to support the sides in lowered position and house the braces when in lowered position.

2. A farm body for motor vehicles comprising a bed, sides hinged thereto and provided in their upper edges with openings to support side stakes for a cattle rack swinging stanchion stakes to engage the heads of cattle supported releasably on the sides, and means carried with the side stakes to hold the stanchion stakes releasably in predetermined position.

3. A farm body having a cattle rack supported at its sides and comprising swinging stanchion stakes pivotally supported at their lower ends, guides for the upper ends of the stanchion stakes and spring latches to re tain the upper ends of the swinging stanchions releasably in predetermined position to hold the heads of cattle.

This specification signed this 21st day of June, 1921. v.

EDlVARD HEWITT. JOHN H. BLAKE, JR. 

